In Myanmar, answers to ethnic conflict elusive

In this Jan. 31, 2013 photo, a Kachin Independence Army soldier stands on top of a bunker at an outpost on the Law Hpyu hilltop, one of the last hilltop outposts defending Laiza, where the guerrilla group's headquarters are located, in northern Myanmar's Kachin-controlled region. Kachin state is home to the last rebel insurgency left fighting in Myanmar that hasn't signed a cease-fire with President Thein Sein's government. Although the hills around Laiza have grown quiet for now, the dramatic upsurge in fighting underscored how far Myanmar is from achieving one of the things it needs most - a political settlement to end not just the war with the Kachin, but simmering conflicts with more than a dozen other rebel armies which have plagued the country for decades and still threaten its future. (AP Photo/Alexander F. Yuan)
— AP

In this Jan. 31, 2013 photo, a Kachin Independence Army soldier stands on top of a bunker at an outpost on the Law Hpyu hilltop, one of the last hilltop outposts defending Laiza, where the guerrilla group's headquarters are located, in northern Myanmar's Kachin-controlled region. Kachin state is home to the last rebel insurgency left fighting in Myanmar that hasn't signed a cease-fire with President Thein Sein's government. Although the hills around Laiza have grown quiet for now, the dramatic upsurge in fighting underscored how far Myanmar is from achieving one of the things it needs most - a political settlement to end not just the war with the Kachin, but simmering conflicts with more than a dozen other rebel armies which have plagued the country for decades and still threaten its future. (AP Photo/Alexander F. Yuan)
/ AP

In this Jan. 31, 2013 photo, Kachin Independence Army soldiers observe a hilltop ceased by Myanmar's government troops at an outpost on the Law Hpyu hilltop, one of the last hilltop outposts defending Laiza, where the guerrilla group's headquarters are located, in northern Myanmar's Kachin-controlled region. Kachin state is home to the last rebel insurgency left fighting in Myanmar that hasn't signed a cease-fire with President Thein Sein's government. Although the hills around Laiza have grown quiet for now, the dramatic upsurge in fighting underscored how far Myanmar is from achieving one of the things it needs most - a political settlement to end not just the war with the Kachin, but simmering conflicts with more than a dozen other rebel armies which have plagued the country for decades and still threaten its future. (AP Photo/Alexander F. Yuan)— AP

In this Jan. 31, 2013 photo, Kachin Independence Army soldiers observe a hilltop ceased by Myanmar's government troops at an outpost on the Law Hpyu hilltop, one of the last hilltop outposts defending Laiza, where the guerrilla group's headquarters are located, in northern Myanmar's Kachin-controlled region. Kachin state is home to the last rebel insurgency left fighting in Myanmar that hasn't signed a cease-fire with President Thein Sein's government. Although the hills around Laiza have grown quiet for now, the dramatic upsurge in fighting underscored how far Myanmar is from achieving one of the things it needs most - a political settlement to end not just the war with the Kachin, but simmering conflicts with more than a dozen other rebel armies which have plagued the country for decades and still threaten its future. (AP Photo/Alexander F. Yuan)
/ AP

In this Jan. 31, 2013 photo, Kachin Independence Army soldiers guard a post on a hilltop overlooking the town of Laiza, where the guerrilla group's headquarters are located, in northern Myanmar's Kachin-controlled region. Kachin state is home to the last rebel insurgency left fighting in Myanmar that hasn't signed a cease-fire with President Thein Sein's government. Although the hills around Laiza have grown quiet for now, the dramatic upsurge in fighting underscored how far Myanmar is from achieving one of the things it needs most - a political settlement to end not just the war with the Kachin, but simmering conflicts with more than a dozen other rebel armies which have plagued the country for decades and still threaten its future. (AP Photo/Alexander F. Yuan)— AP

In this Jan. 31, 2013 photo, Kachin Independence Army soldiers guard a post on a hilltop overlooking the town of Laiza, where the guerrilla group's headquarters are located, in northern Myanmar's Kachin-controlled region. Kachin state is home to the last rebel insurgency left fighting in Myanmar that hasn't signed a cease-fire with President Thein Sein's government. Although the hills around Laiza have grown quiet for now, the dramatic upsurge in fighting underscored how far Myanmar is from achieving one of the things it needs most - a political settlement to end not just the war with the Kachin, but simmering conflicts with more than a dozen other rebel armies which have plagued the country for decades and still threaten its future. (AP Photo/Alexander F. Yuan)
/ AP

In this Feb. 2, 2013 photo, Catholic believers hold candles while they march and chant prayers for peace in the town of Laiza, in northern Myanmar's Kachin-controlled region. Kachin state is home to the last rebel insurgency left fighting in Myanmar that hasn't signed a cease-fire with President Thein Sein's government. Although the hills around Laiza have grown quiet for now, the dramatic upsurge in fighting underscored how far Myanmar is from achieving one of the things it needs most - a political settlement to end not just the war with the Kachin, but simmering conflicts with more than a dozen other rebel armies which have plagued the country for decades and still threaten its future. (AP Photo/Alexander F. Yuan)— AP

In this Feb. 2, 2013 photo, Catholic believers hold candles while they march and chant prayers for peace in the town of Laiza, in northern Myanmar's Kachin-controlled region. Kachin state is home to the last rebel insurgency left fighting in Myanmar that hasn't signed a cease-fire with President Thein Sein's government. Although the hills around Laiza have grown quiet for now, the dramatic upsurge in fighting underscored how far Myanmar is from achieving one of the things it needs most - a political settlement to end not just the war with the Kachin, but simmering conflicts with more than a dozen other rebel armies which have plagued the country for decades and still threaten its future. (AP Photo/Alexander F. Yuan)
/ AP

In this Jan. 30, 2013 photo, crosses are laid on the graves of Kachin Independence Army soldiers killed in battles defending the town of Laiza, where the guerrilla group's headquarters are located, at a cemetery in Laiza, in northern Myanmar's Kachin-controlled region. Kachin state is home to the last rebel insurgency left fighting in Myanmar that hasn't signed a cease-fire with President Thein Sein's government. Although the hills around Laiza have grown quiet for now, the dramatic upsurge in fighting underscored how far Myanmar is from achieving one of the things it needs most - a political settlement to end not just the war with the Kachin, but simmering conflicts with more than a dozen other rebel armies which have plagued the country for decades and still threaten its future. (AP Photo/Alexander F. Yuan)— AP

In this Jan. 30, 2013 photo, crosses are laid on the graves of Kachin Independence Army soldiers killed in battles defending the town of Laiza, where the guerrilla group's headquarters are located, at a cemetery in Laiza, in northern Myanmar's Kachin-controlled region. Kachin state is home to the last rebel insurgency left fighting in Myanmar that hasn't signed a cease-fire with President Thein Sein's government. Although the hills around Laiza have grown quiet for now, the dramatic upsurge in fighting underscored how far Myanmar is from achieving one of the things it needs most - a political settlement to end not just the war with the Kachin, but simmering conflicts with more than a dozen other rebel armies which have plagued the country for decades and still threaten its future. (AP Photo/Alexander F. Yuan)
/ AP

In this Jan. 29, 2013 photo, a Kachin Independence Army soldier grabs soap to bathe with at an outpost five miles away from the town of Laiza, where the guerrilla group's headquarters are located, in northern Myanmar's Kachin-controlled region. Kachin state is home to the last rebel insurgency left fighting in Myanmar that hasn't signed a cease-fire with President Thein Sein's government. Although the hills around Laiza have grown quiet for now, the dramatic upsurge in fighting underscored how far Myanmar is from achieving one of the things it needs most - a political settlement to end not just the war with the Kachin, but simmering conflicts with more than a dozen other rebel armies which have plagued the country for decades and still threaten its future. (AP Photo/Alexander F. Yuan)— AP

In this Jan. 29, 2013 photo, a Kachin Independence Army soldier grabs soap to bathe with at an outpost five miles away from the town of Laiza, where the guerrilla group's headquarters are located, in northern Myanmar's Kachin-controlled region. Kachin state is home to the last rebel insurgency left fighting in Myanmar that hasn't signed a cease-fire with President Thein Sein's government. Although the hills around Laiza have grown quiet for now, the dramatic upsurge in fighting underscored how far Myanmar is from achieving one of the things it needs most - a political settlement to end not just the war with the Kachin, but simmering conflicts with more than a dozen other rebel armies which have plagued the country for decades and still threaten its future. (AP Photo/Alexander F. Yuan)
/ AP

In this Feb. 2, 2013 photo, a female Kachin Independence Army soldier folds a Kachin flag after she lowered it in front of Laiza township mayor's office in northern Myanmar's Kachin-controlled region. Kachin state is home to the last rebel insurgency left fighting in Myanmar that hasn't signed a cease-fire with President Thein Sein's government. Although the hills around Laiza have grown quiet for now, the dramatic upsurge in fighting underscored how far Myanmar is from achieving one of the things it needs most - a political settlement to end not just the war with the Kachin, but simmering conflicts with more than a dozen other rebel armies which have plagued the country for decades and still threaten its future. (AP Photo/Alexander F. Yuan)— AP

In this Feb. 2, 2013 photo, a female Kachin Independence Army soldier folds a Kachin flag after she lowered it in front of Laiza township mayor's office in northern Myanmar's Kachin-controlled region. Kachin state is home to the last rebel insurgency left fighting in Myanmar that hasn't signed a cease-fire with President Thein Sein's government. Although the hills around Laiza have grown quiet for now, the dramatic upsurge in fighting underscored how far Myanmar is from achieving one of the things it needs most - a political settlement to end not just the war with the Kachin, but simmering conflicts with more than a dozen other rebel armies which have plagued the country for decades and still threaten its future. (AP Photo/Alexander F. Yuan)
/ AP

In this Jan. 29, 2013 photo, Kachin Independence Army soldiers rest near a fire pit at an outpost five miles away from the town of Laiza, where the guerrilla group's headquarters are located, in northern Myanmar's Kachin-controlled region. Kachin state is home to the last rebel insurgency left fighting in Myanmar that hasn't signed a cease-fire with President Thein Sein's government. Although the hills around Laiza have grown quiet for now, the dramatic upsurge in fighting underscored how far Myanmar is from achieving one of the things it needs most - a political settlement to end not just the war with the Kachin, but simmering conflicts with more than a dozen other rebel armies which have plagued the country for decades and still threaten its future. (AP Photo/Alexander F. Yuan)— AP

In this Jan. 29, 2013 photo, Kachin Independence Army soldiers rest near a fire pit at an outpost five miles away from the town of Laiza, where the guerrilla group's headquarters are located, in northern Myanmar's Kachin-controlled region. Kachin state is home to the last rebel insurgency left fighting in Myanmar that hasn't signed a cease-fire with President Thein Sein's government. Although the hills around Laiza have grown quiet for now, the dramatic upsurge in fighting underscored how far Myanmar is from achieving one of the things it needs most - a political settlement to end not just the war with the Kachin, but simmering conflicts with more than a dozen other rebel armies which have plagued the country for decades and still threaten its future. (AP Photo/Alexander F. Yuan)
/ AP

In this Jan. 31, 2013 photo, Kachin Independence Army soldiers guard an outpost on the Law Hpyu hilltop, one of the last hilltop outposts defending Laiza, where the guerrilla group's headquarters are located, in northern Myanmar's Kachin-controlled region. Kachin state is home to the last rebel insurgency left fighting in Myanmar that hasn't signed a cease-fire with President Thein Sein's government. Although the hills around Laiza have grown quiet for now, the dramatic upsurge in fighting underscored how far Myanmar is from achieving one of the things it needs most - a political settlement to end not just the war with the Kachin, but simmering conflicts with more than a dozen other rebel armies which have plagued the country for decades and still threaten its future. (AP Photo/Alexander F. Yuan)— AP

In this Jan. 31, 2013 photo, Kachin Independence Army soldiers guard an outpost on the Law Hpyu hilltop, one of the last hilltop outposts defending Laiza, where the guerrilla group's headquarters are located, in northern Myanmar's Kachin-controlled region. Kachin state is home to the last rebel insurgency left fighting in Myanmar that hasn't signed a cease-fire with President Thein Sein's government. Although the hills around Laiza have grown quiet for now, the dramatic upsurge in fighting underscored how far Myanmar is from achieving one of the things it needs most - a political settlement to end not just the war with the Kachin, but simmering conflicts with more than a dozen other rebel armies which have plagued the country for decades and still threaten its future. (AP Photo/Alexander F. Yuan)
/ AP

In this Jan. 31, 2013 photo, a Kachin Independence Army soldier cleans his rifle at an outpost on the Law Hpyu hilltop, one of the last hilltop outposts defending Laiza, where the guerrilla group's headquarters are located, in northern Myanmar's Kachin-controlled region. Kachin state is home to the last rebel insurgency left fighting in Myanmar that hasn't signed a cease-fire with President Thein Sein's government. Although the hills around Laiza have grown quiet for now, the dramatic upsurge in fighting underscored how far Myanmar is from achieving one of the things it needs most - a political settlement to end not just the war with the Kachin, but simmering conflicts with more than a dozen other rebel armies which have plagued the country for decades and still threaten its future. (AP Photo/Alexander F. Yuan)— AP

In this Jan. 31, 2013 photo, a Kachin Independence Army soldier cleans his rifle at an outpost on the Law Hpyu hilltop, one of the last hilltop outposts defending Laiza, where the guerrilla group's headquarters are located, in northern Myanmar's Kachin-controlled region. Kachin state is home to the last rebel insurgency left fighting in Myanmar that hasn't signed a cease-fire with President Thein Sein's government. Although the hills around Laiza have grown quiet for now, the dramatic upsurge in fighting underscored how far Myanmar is from achieving one of the things it needs most - a political settlement to end not just the war with the Kachin, but simmering conflicts with more than a dozen other rebel armies which have plagued the country for decades and still threaten its future. (AP Photo/Alexander F. Yuan)
/ AP

LAWA YANG, Myanmar 
Kneeling beside a line of freshly dug trenches carved like one long, open wound into a lush hillside, the rebel sergeant peered through dusty binoculars at all his troops had lost.

Scattered across the sprawling valley below, a dozen thatched-roof homes stood quiet, abandoned by fleeing villagers as government forces drew near. Towering above: four forested mountain ridges seized by Myanmar's army after some of the bloodiest clashes here in decades - so fierce the ethnic Kachin guerrillas who survived said the artillery fire came down like rain.

If the Kachin Independence Army, the last armed insurgent group still at war in Myanmar, loses just one more mountain ridge, there will be little to stop government forces from taking their stronghold on the Chinese border. They are ill-equipped - some rebels wear helmets made only of hardened plastic and admit running low on ammunition - but they remain defiant.

"We're very vulnerable because the army now holds the high ground," rebel Sgt. Brang Shawng said as he scanned the new front line at Lawa Yang, where his unit retreated last month.

But he added: "We will never give up. For us, this is a fight for self-determination, and I'll keep fighting for it until I die."

Government soldiers, bolstered for the first time by screeching fighter jets and helicopter gunships that pounded the hills for weeks, advanced late last month to within just a few kilometers (miles) of the rebel headquarters town of Laiza, the closest they have ever come.

The region has been relatively calm since, but even so, the dramatic upsurge in fighting underscores how far Myanmar is from achieving one of the things it needs most - a political settlement to end not just the war with the Kachin, but decades-long conflicts with more than a dozen other rebel armies that have plagued the country for decades and still threaten its future.

Much is at stake for this Southeast Asian nation, which has stunned the world by opening politically and economically over the last two years following five decades of military rule. President Thein Sein's government rose to power in 2011 following elections that rights groups said were neither free nor fair, but it has since ushered in reforms, freed political prisoners and allowed opposition leader Aung San Suu Kyi and her supporters to be elected to parliament.

Still, Myanmar has yet to resolve a multitude of conflicts with its ethnic minorities, which make up about 40 percent of the population. Their persistent push for political autonomy has turned vast patchworks of territory along the borders with China and Thailand into rebel fiefdoms rich in jade, timber, gold and opium.

In Kachin state alone, the control of which is split between rebels and the government, resource-hungry China has invested billions of dollars in hydroelectric dams. A Chinese-backed pipeline project is due to begin pumping oil and gas from the Bay of Bengal in May, and more development projects are planned, including highways and railways that would link Indian Ocean seaports with the rest of Southeast Asia. Most of them cross rebel zones.